Safety ski binding

ABSTRACT

Safety release bindings for action between a ski and a ski boot. Means are provided for utilizing muscular stress of the skier and utilizing a preselected value of same for releasing the binding. In certain embodiments, the muscular stress is measured by the bio-electrical output of the skier&#39;&#39;s muscles. In other embodiments the muscular stress is measured by physical movement of the skier&#39;&#39;s foot within or with respect to his ski boot. In one embodiment, a primary measurement is made of such muscular stress while a secondary measurement is made of the stress between the ski boot and the ski, both of said stresses being required to coincide in order to release the ski.

United States Patent 1191 1111 3,826,509

Smolka July 30, 1974 1 SAFETY SKI BINDING 3,630,537 12/197; Brunlacrm. 280/1155 D ,762, 5 0197 s 2 011.35 M

[751 inventor: 31 ig x g gg 3,776,566 12/1973 $21311; 280/1135 M [73]Assignee: Gertsch AG, Zug, Switzerland Primary m rl vid SChOnberg Filedy 24 1973 Assistant Examiner-Milton L. Smith App]. No.: 363,536

Related US. Application Data Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Woodhams,Blanchard and Flynn [5 7 ABSTRACT bodiments the muscular stress ismeasured by physical movement of the skiers foot within or with respectto his ski boot. In one embodiment, a primary measurement is made ofsuch muscular stress while a secondary measurement is made of the stressbetween the ski boot and the ski, both of said stresses being requiredto coincide in order to release the ski.

5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures SAFETY SKI BINDING This is a division of US.Pat. application Ser. No. 159,789, filed July 6, 1971 now US. Pat. No.3,776,366 issued Dec. 4, 1973.

The invention relates to a safety ski binding which releases the skiboot upon occurrence of an overload.

Ski bindings which are equipped with a spring-loaded lock are alreadyknown. If an overload occurs, the lock is released by overcoming asuitably adjusted spring force. While the adjustment is intended to beselected according to the weight and skiing capability of the user, ithas not yet been possible to effect an adjustment which alwayscompletely corresponds to the desired conditions. Further, such anadjustment depends also on the build and the physical condition of theuser and on the condition of the ski path. If the ski path is icy,different conditions exist than, for example, in powder snow.Furthermore the binding will open differently during a slow fall than ifa sudden stress occurs. Additionally, the stresses of the body parts aretransferred first onto the shoe and only then from tbe shoe to thebinding. The safety release thus depends also on the structure of theshoe.

It has therefore already been suggested to open the binding at the willof the user. A switch for this purpose has heretofore been installedinto the ski pole which upon operation by the skier opens anelectrically responsive binding.v In such a unit, it is left to thejudgment and reaction capability of the user whether or not he shouldopen the binding at a given moment. This, of course, often results inwrong decisions. Furthermore, the danger exists that the wires andcontacts which are provided in the clothing of the user tear or areotherwise interrupted and it is also possible that the ski pole becomeslost.

Thus, the purpose of the invention is to avoid these disadvantages andto produce a ski binding in which directly or indirectly the stresses ofthe body parts are sensed and in which, before injuries occur, thebinding I is opened by a suitable signal.

This purpose is attained by providing at least one signal sender whichdirectly or indirectly receives the stresses of the bodyparts and atleast one signal receiver which is coupled with a locking mechanism ofthe binding. Therefore instead of relying for the opening of the bindingon the decision of the user, the stresses are sensed by the signalsender and a corresponding signal is transmitted. If and when suchsignal reaches a preselected value, then a signal receiver provided inthe bindingoperates the locking mechanism. Thus a binding is producedwhich depends neither on the choice of the user nor on a holding forcewhich must be specially adjusted, but which reacts to the actuallyoccurring stresses of the body parts.

The subject matter is illustrated in form of several exemplaryembodiments in the drawing, in which FIGS. 1 to 4 illustrate fourdifferent schematized constructions.

As appears clearly in FIG. 1, the shoe 1 is held on the ski 2 by a heelholder 3 and a jaw 4. Both in the heel holder 3 and also in the jaw 4,there are provided electromagnets 5 or 6, respectively, of which thecores 7, 8 respectively, form spring-loaded locks which normally holdthe bindings in the position of use.

I It is already known that bio-electrical currents occur during musclemovements. According to the first exemplary embodiment, sensors ll, 12of known type are '2 arranged on the foot or leg of the user, here theleg 9, by any convenient means, such as a bandage 10. Said sensors pickup and respond to these bio-electrical currents and transmit a suitablesignal to the senders 13, 14. Said sensors 11, 12 could also be arrangedin a stocking or the like. The bindings 3, 4 have receivers 15, 16 ofany convenient and known type which are coupled to the electromagnets 5,6. If the impulse has a certain frequency, the receivers operate theelectromagnets which causes the cores 7, 8 to move against the force ofthe springs 17, 18 and thus the heel binding 3 can pivot about the axis19 and the jaw 4 about the axis 20, so that the ski boot 1 is released.If necessary, one could provide here only one sender which operates bothbindings 3, 4, for example each binding through a different channel.

According to FIG. 2 the sensor 11 is positioned on the sole of the foot9 and is connected to an amplifier 22 through contacts 21 which arearranged on the boot 1 and the heel binding 3. Upon occurrence of acertain stress, for example, of the foot 9 forwardly, the muscles of thefoot sole are also stressed. The sensor 11 again picks up thebio-electrical currents caused thereby and transmits an impulse to theamplifier 22. If this impulse is of preselected value, the amplifier 22operates the electromagnet 5 which moves its core 7 back against theforce of the spring 17. Thus, the binding can pivot upwardly about theaxis 19 if also the second lock 23 is released against the force of thespring 24.

This second lock 23 is adjusted to a relatively small stressUnderspecial conditions strong stresses of the foot sometimes occur whichstresses do not result in a fall and thus not in injuries. However,since the sensor 11 will operate the electromagnet 5 on the occurrenceof a preselected stress on the foot muscles, if such a stress occurs thecore forming the lock will be moved back and cause the heel binding 3 torelease the boot. However, if in a given case no fall occurs, namely theboot imposeslittle or no load onto the heel binding 3, then the secondlock 23 maintains the binding in the closed position. Nevertheless, ifthe direct load of the shoe onto the binding also exceeds, as alreadymentioned above, a preselected threshold value, then the binding opens.

1 According to FIG. 3, a deformable hollow member 25 is arranged withthe shoe 1 and provided with a suitable supply of hydraulic or pneumaticpressure fluid. This hollow member 25 is connected to acylinderpiston-assembly 27, 28 through a pressure fluid line 26. If thefoot 9 is stressed, the hollow member 25 is compressed, through whichthe pressure fluid is urged through the line 26 into the cylinder 27 andthus the piston 28 forming a lock is moved back so that the binding isreleased. The piston 28 can be backed by a spring, or on an air or gascushion 29, which tends to urge the piston constantly forwardly into theillustrated position.

In,FIG. 4, two contacts 30, 31 are provided on the boot 1. A furthercontact 32 which is spaced from the contacts 30, 31 is arranged on thefoot 9, for example on a bandage of the foot or on a stocking or thelike. If now the foot 9 moves opposite the shoe 1 so that the contact 32contacts one of the contacts 30 or 31, the circuit comprising a battery33 and an electromagnet 34 is closed and the electromagnet 34, the core35 of which functions as a lock, releases the binding in a corplaryembodiment of FIGS. 1 or 2.

responding manner, as in the above-described exem- Of course, theinvention is not limited to the illustrated exemplary embodiments. Anumber of modifications are possible which lie within the scope of theinvention. For example, combinations involving electricpneumatic orelectric-hydraulic systems could be made. It is also possible to providea force receiver on the ski or on or in the shoe or the like which forcereceiver has for example a strain responsive element and, upon stressesof the ski, shoe or the like,- transmits an impulse selected accordingto the stresses of the body parts for opening the binding. Sensors whichreact to bio-electrical currents need not be arranged directly on therespective complex, namely directly at the foot, but they can bearranged practically at any conducting point of the body up to the heador the brain.

I claim:

1. In a safety ski binding which releases the ski shoe worn by'a skierfrom the ski when an overload or stress condition occurs, theimprovement comprising:

at least one signal generator mounted between said ski shoe and a limbof said skier and adapted to generate a signal in direct response tosaid stress condition between said ski shoe and said limb when said skishoe is secured by said ski binding tosai d ski;

at least one of the components of said ski binding being responsive to amechanical movement to open said ski binding and permit a release ofsaid ski shoe, said ski binding including at least one signal receivermeans responsive to said signal and adapted .to produce said mechanicalmovement in response to said first signal whereby said ski binding willrelease said ski shoe upon the occurrence of said mechanical movement.

2. The improvement according to claim 1, wherein said signal generatoris adapted to generate an electrical signal and said one component ofsaid ski binding magnet is energized by said electrical signal to movesaid movable core member out of engagement with said 4, boot engagingmember topermit a pivoting of said boot engaging member.

3. The improvement according to claim 1, wherein said signal generatorincludes variable volume gas filled bladder means positioned between theinterior of said ski boot and said limb of said skier, said signalproduced thereby being a pressure signal; and

' wherein said one component of said ski binding includes a bootengaging member pivotally secured to said ski and adapted to pivotbetween a boot engaging position and a boot release position; and

wherein said signal receiver means includes means defining fluidpressure responsive cylinder means having a movable member engageablewith said ski boot engaging member to hold said component in said bootengaging position, said movable member being movable in direct responseto a change in the volume of said bladder means to produce saidmechanical movement when said cylinder means is pressurized to permit apivoting of said boot engaging member. i

4. The improvement according to claim 3, wherein said bladder meansincludes fluid passageway means connected to said fluid pressureresponsive cylinder means; and

wherein said movable member is a piston'slidably disposed in saidcylindermeans and resilient means for urging said piston toward said skiboot, said fluid passageway means being connected to said cylinder meansbetween said piston and said ski boot.

5. The improvement according to claim 2, wherein said signal generatorcomprises switching means connected in circuit between an electricalsupply and said one component of said ski binding, said switching meanscomprising a pair of horizontally spaced contacts and a single contactpositioned therebetween, at least one of said single contact and saidpair of spaced contacts being mounted on said limb of said skier and theother of said single contact and said pair of contacts being mounted onsaid ski boot whereby a relative movement between said limb and said skiboot will effect an engagement of said single contact with one of saidpair of contacts'to thereby produce said electrical signal to effect arelease of said ski boot from said ski binding.

1. In a safety ski binding which releases the ski shoe worn by a skierfrom the ski when an overload or stress condition occurs, theimprovement comprising: at least one signal generator mounted betweensaid ski shoe and a limb of said skier and adapted to generate a signalin direct response to said stress condition between said ski shoe andsaid limb when said ski shoe is secured by said ski binding to said ski;at least one of the components of said ski binding being responsive to amechanical movement to open said ski binding and permit a release ofsaid ski shoe, said ski binding including at least one signal receivermeans responsive to said signal and adapted to produce said mechanicalmovement in response to said first signal whereby said ski binding willrelease said ski shoe upon the occurrence of said mechanical movement.2. The improvement according to claim 1, wherein said signal generatoris adapted to generate an electrical signal and said one component ofsaid ski binding includes a boot engaging member pivotally secured tosaid ski and adapted to pivot between a boot engaging position and aboot release position and means defining an electromagnet having amovable core member engageable with said ski boot engaging member tohold said component in said boot engaging position and producing saidmechanical movement when said electromagnet is energized by saidelectrical signal to move said movable core member out of engagementwith said boot engaging member to permit a pivoting of said bootengaging member.
 3. The improvement according to claim 1, wherein saidsignal generator includes variable volume gas filled bladder meanspositioned between the interior of said ski boot and said limb of saidskier, said signal produced thereby being a pressure signal; and whereinsaid one component of said ski binding includes a boot engaging memberpivotally secured to said ski and adapted to pivot between a bootengaging position and a boot release position; and wherein said signalreceiver means includes means defining fluid pressure responsivecylinder means having a movable member engageable with said ski bootengaging member to hold said component in said boot engaging position,said movable member being movable in direct response to a change in thevolume of said bladder means to produce said mechanical movement whensaid cylinder means is pressurized to permit a pivoting of said bootengaging member.
 4. The improvement according to claim 3, wherein saidbladder means includes fluid passageway means connected to said fluidpressure responsive cylinder means; and wherein said movable member is apiston slidably disposed in said cylinder means And resilient means forurging said piston toward said ski boot, said fluid passageway meansbeing connected to said cylinder means between said piston and said skiboot.
 5. The improvement according to claim 2, wherein said signalgenerator comprises switching means connected in circuit between anelectrical supply and said one component of said ski binding, saidswitching means comprising a pair of horizontally spaced contacts and asingle contact positioned therebetween, at least one of said singlecontact and said pair of spaced contacts being mounted on said limb ofsaid skier and the other of said single contact and said pair ofcontacts being mounted on said ski boot whereby a relative movementbetween said limb and said ski boot will effect an engagement of saidsingle contact with one of said pair of contacts to thereby produce saidelectrical signal to effect a release of said ski boot from said skibinding.